'Ridiculously long-lasting gum' may spell success for confectioners

NEW YORK Advertisements for gum boasting long-lasting flavor may yield big bucks for its makers.

Although it was recently acquired by Kraft Foods, Cadbury -- whose gum brands include Stride, Trident and Dentyne --  held 33% of the company's revenue in 2009, and increased 2%, which the company contributed to the U.S. launch of Trident Layers in the second half, "[re-establishing] strong growth momentum in the category."

But its Cadbury's Stride brand that really has made waves. Introduced five years ago, the brand now is known for its marketing campaign -- featuring such quips as menacing ostriches, secret agents and more, looking for gum patrons to spit out their old yet flavorful piece of gum. The threatening and hilarious message, "Start chewing that new piece of Stride gum... or we'll find you," has garnered some attention from specific chewers: teens, college kids and gamers, which could boost its sales. Additionally, the introduction of new Stride Shift, in which the gum flavors change, speak to younger generations looking for fun. The two new flavors include berry-to-mint and citrus-to-mint and now are available at sotres nationwide.

“Stride speaks to younger consumers who chew gum not for functional reasons but for emotional reasons,” Gary Osifchin, director of marketing at Stride, told The New York Times. “Younger consumers have a disdain for the ordinary, and they like to be snapped out of boredom.”